Juggling July - Frugaleering into Summer

[roguepixie]

New thread for everyone here.

[Dilidali]

The 'C' word hahaha! Took a while for the penny to drop.
I have a little system, I start in Sept/Oct. I make a budget for presents, I have a rather small family me, so no excessive splurges.
I normally buy wrapping paper, cards in January sales, but I discovered the brown wrapping paper, which is very cheap but looks fantastic with a colourful ribbon. I can do a pretty good calligraphy job so I will write on the paper and I found some amazing gift tags, job done. So this january I only bought pretty wrapping ribbons. I love the John Lewis cards so I always buy from them.
The sales are now on, I discovered through a major wardrobe malfunction yesterday. I might go to the shops this week and see what I can find, no pressure.
I normally do one main present, a ticket to see something together, something sweet (I made some star shaped biscuits wrapped artfully in cellophane) and a 'comfort' item. Friends get biscuits/sweets and an invite for c eve at ours.
The food gets bought with nectar points and I also buy bits every food shop from october onwards.
But, like adora(thank you, hope your weekend is lovely too), I still have birthdays, st nicholas. One thing I always forget to budget for are C parties. Taxies, outfits, meals out, they all add up.
It's July and I am thinking C, gawd!

[Fluffycloudland77]

The lidl half price weekend offers are good this week, avocados are only 39p each and branstons 69p.

[ExasperatedSigh]

Thanks Fluffy, I love avocados so will definitely hit my local branch tomorrow.

[TommeeTipsy]

Hello!

Can I join in? We are stony broke after having to get dry rot treatment done on our house. Insurance won't cover it sadly. Previous owners had left a washing machine to drip, drip for years plus there was an old lead pipe hidden in the wall. (this is all in a bedroom upstairs...)

My fugal day today was picking 1 kg of starwberries and raspberries from my garden while the kids played in the paddling pool. Plus I made mini blueberry muffins to freeze for packed lunches for DD1.

[ExasperatedSigh]

Welcome Tommee, and ouch at the dry rot treatment :( This is a great thread to help frugal habits flourish though, so hopefully we can help.

Very jealous of your soft fruit harvest today. I have one tiny non-fruiting strawberry plant and a blueberry that is ripening verrrry slowly.

[AdoraBell]

NSD for me, OH Spent a bit on food out after DD's hockey and then around lunchtime. Estate agents got a good response to their thing and a couple of people may be interested.

Sorry you've had expensive prolems with your house Tommee, hope fully it's all sorted so you can Get bak on track.

I with I could grow things here, feels like there's no point as we're now selling and the puppies wreck everything OH is now querying the vet bill he paíd , but he left it so long to pay, and then to question it neither one knows exactly what it was for. I'm not getting involved.

I predict another NSD Tomorrow.

[KinkyDorito]

I am jealous of anyone who has an orderly garden of any description. We are out tackling the jungle today. Note to self: in the future, do not randomly plant things unless you know how big they will grow...

Doing the gardening is my frugal effort for today. I have been sorely tempted to bung some money at a professional because I am weak at the thought of trying to deal with it myself. DH cut the grass yesterday evening, so the plan is to bung DS in the paddling pool and crack on with the borders. These aren't really borders at the moment, more 5ft of weed.

I am actually quite scared at what I might find under it all.

[KinkyDorito]

If I'm not back later, it is because I have been eaten by a giant slug.

[Fluffycloudland77]

£35 in Aldi and £7 in sainsbos. I still need petrol next week so that's £40 still to go out.

Dh is off this week so if he wants more treats he's paying for them.

It's supposed to be free listing next week on eBay. I hope it is.

[AdoraBell]

Do I actually need permisión to strangle my husband, or can I just Go ahead and kill him?

DD's birthdays are coming up, OH said he wants to Get them a certain radio controled toys. He bought them Today, nearly £200. He then gave them to DDs in the car leaving the shops. DD1 is currently getting to grips with hers.

I had another NSD.

[SpangleMaker]

Oh Adora, I would be fuming! Did he not think you should have a say in what they get for their birthdays... and how much to spend? It sounds as if he doesn't think ahead. I hope something comes of the interest in your house.

Didn't spend much over the weekend until last night when I paid for birthday pub meal for FIL. Today will be spendy as we made a last minute decision to take DS to Thomasland. We have some vouchers that expire before the end of term and as this will be the last chance to go anywhere out of school holidays we decided to go for it Now off to rustle up picnic/snacks to avoid buying overpriced crap while we're there.

Hope everyone else has been enjoying the sunshine.

[Helenagrace]

Got my second NSD yesterday. Today might be my third as I don't need bread or milk yet.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Spangle, if you come down the M42 for Thomas land exit at J9 not J10 and you won't get caught up in the queue to turn right.

Adora I just don't know, I really don't.

[roguepixie]

Morning everyone. .

Adora - no, death by strangulation in these circumstances is not only not frowned upon, it is actively encouraged . Tbh he would drive me mental. I hope you are not posting from a Chilean jail cell next week .

Spent on the food shop yesterday (£105) but much of that will carry us through this week and next. Just need some extra veggies from the stall during the week.

Have to post an Ebay sale this morning so a NS there but not sure yet what the rest of the day will bring.

[ExasperatedSigh]

Adora what a pranny

Aiming for a NSD today. Will only be my second of the month, and by gum we already need it

[ExasperatedSigh]

Oh, except I have to book my train tickets to visit my best friend in Belgium. So it will be a NFD (no fritter day) instead.

[ExasperatedSigh]

Woohoo, just transferred £100 from my Paypal account to my bank account! I can afford those tickets now I've never made so much money selling stuff before, it's inspired me to list all my crap on Ebay.

[Rosvita]

Hi all sounds like you're all doing well.I just have to get through to next fri now with spending as little as possible.got £51.51 left of budget until then and hoping it will last - just got to put a bit more petrol in,top up of food,and swimming lesson for ds.got a bargain on a bed yesterday-was £500 down to £141 then with £7 cashback through top cashback -not sure why I've never used cashback sites before now?!also sending off some laundry as part of a mn study panel and should get £50 food shop voucher for that so that's good.hoping to really start saving some money into my isa by the end of the month.

[SpangleMaker]

Thanks Fluffy, on M6 toll - not very money saving but definitely time saving coming from where we live, needed with 2 whiney DC in car.

[shortscotty]

Had another fall off NS wagon weekend, BBQ yesterday frittered £20 on bits for it but bargain - chap selling dehumidifier for £60 so raided pots and snapped it up (we get a lot of upstairs condensation/black mould on walls)
Surprise today as got a cheque for ppi claim, wrote to them on off chance and whoo-hoo, paid us. That covers the expensive wine I bought 2 months ago that we didn't need but loved

[northender]

ExasperatedSigh I love the idea of No Fritter Days. I hardly ever have NSDs but frequently have NFDs.
Had to buy dd a new cycle helmet today but had £10 knocked off so could have been worse.
We now have our new car so for a few days we are a 3 car family! Dh is trying to take the radio out of the old one as it's a Sony and not very old so should be able to sell it for a few pounds. Scrap dealer will come and take it away and pay £160 and then we can claim some road tax back so trying to make the most of things.

[AdoraBell]

Spangle that's the thing though, we had spoken about it and decided together that these would be good and appropraite gifts for their birthday, so I was gobsmacked when he handed them over in the car. The term Disney Dad springs to mind.

Rogue, I'm moré paciente than to end up in a Chilean jail, I'll wait úntil there's no aparente motive

After they'd gone to Bed he did his 12 yr old grin and giggled said, was that a good idea? I reminded him that we'd agreed it would be the birthday gift etc and asked him WTF are we going to do about the birthday now

Don't know if I'll be spending Today, I'm re turning to pilates but iirc the tutor prefers payment at the end of the week. I'll take the money with me in case.

Exasperated I hope you have a nice time when you visit your friend.

[TommeeTipsy]

Small top up shop today costing £7. I'm really lucky to live near a whole bunch of Turkish/Kurdish shops so got 6 peaches for £1 plus a quarter of a watermelon for £2. The kids are eating this for after school snack right now.

Also made mini muffins for packed lunches last night to use up left over blueberries. DD1 was really worried we would fall foul of the packed lunch police as they are cracking down on packed lunches this week apparently.

Love the idea of a No Fritter Day.

[Fluffycloudland77]

£10 on petrol. Necessary evil.

Hitting Tesco tm to bulk buy red lentils from the ethnic aisle.

I'm starting to photograph my stuff for eBay, there's a rumour it's free listing this weekend.

[AdoraBell]

Pilates teacher wants paying on Wednesday, so NSD for me.

Hope Those wholesome homemade fruit muffins Get passed the lunch box policía Tommee